Man arrested after trying to pull gun on police

BY ERIC POOLEEPOOLE@ELLWOODCITYLEDGER.COM

Wednesday

Jun 19, 2013 at 12:01 AMJun 19, 2013 at 12:15 AM

ELLWOOD CITY -- Upon receiving a citation Monday night from Ellwood City Council for helping to intercept nearly 800 stamp bags of heroin earlier this month, borough Patrolman Michael McBride mentioned one of the biggest dangers of his job.

"You don't know what's going to happen when you pull a car over," he said.

Had he been asked, McBride could have cited an example less than seven hours old.

Around 11 a.m. Monday, McBride had pulled over a vehicle for running a stop sign at Mount Vernon Drive and Line Avenue. From there, the stop escalated into a possible DUI when McBride thought the driver, Michael Lee Delph Jr., 30, if 2240 Brighton Road, North Sewickley Township, might be intoxicated.

When backup, in the form of Lt. Dave Kingston, arrived, they asked Delph to get out of his car. As he did, every police officer's nightmare scenario began to play out.

Police said Delph reached quickly behind his back, as if to draw a weapon. McBride subdued him and the police officers confiscated a revolver, later determined to have been stolen. It turned out that pulling the gun was a fool's errand. It was in Delph's back pocket, wrapped in a bandanna, both of which hampered a quick draw.

Additionally, Delph's criminal record includes a 2009 felony conviction for burglary, which prohibits him from legally possessing a firearm.

Delph was arraigned Monday evening on charges of receiving stolen property, possession of a firearm by someone not legally permitted, and possession of a weapon without a license.

As of Tuesday, police were preparing to search Delph's vehicle, and officers said that additional charges were likely.

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